DAYTON, Ohio — As a nurse, public health has always been a priority for Tawnni Miles. Whether it’s treating patients or educating her community about preventative care, Miles has spent much of her life trying to make her West Dayton neighborhood a stronger, healthier place.
The culmination of that passion is Juicing Jammers, a fresh juice, and smoothie business, that for years operated out of a mobile trailer. Now, thanks to a $10,000 microloan from the Greater West Dayton Business Incubator, it’s one of the newest brick-and-mortar stores serving her community.
The business incubator launched in late 2021, aimed at providing support for entrepreneurs in West Dayton and spurring economic development in neighborhoods that have historically seen disinvestment.
For Miles, the organization opened up an opportunity to really get the juices flowing for her business. She was an early student in the incubator’s Business Blitz classes, and when the opportunity opened up to apply for a Cultural Capital microloan, she seized it.
Miles oversees food production inside Juicing Jammers
“I knew I needed more assistance with legitimizing my business and being able to scale it to the way that we have,” she said.
At that point, Miles already had a space she was looking to rent. She just needed the right equipment to fill it. The $10,000 microloan she earned in April made that possible.
“We were able to purchase a countertop, a prep table. We were able to purchase two blenders, this two-door refrigerator,” she said.
Juicing Jammers had a soft opening in July and Miles said business has been steady ever since, as the neighborhood gets to know her and her business.
“It helped us get our doors open and provide what we’re providing to our community,” she said. “In two, three years, I hope to actually expand to a bigger place.”
Eventually, Miles said she’ll have to leave her nursing job and run Juicing Jammers full time, but she said she sees it as a continuation of her public health work.
“I always imagined having a business in the city of Dayton and to be able to offer that is phenomenal,” she said. “When you want to start with your health, you have to start with your food.”
The store had its soft opening in late July
As her business moves forward, she thanks the Greater West Dayton Business Incubator for the boost, not just in helping her dreams become a reality but also for helping her neighborhood become a stronger, healthier place.
“I’ve been here all my life. It’s just so unreal to be able to do this,” she said. “To know that these people want us to win and they’re showing us the different ways to legitimize our businesses, especially in the inner city, it makes it like tremendous.”
The Greater West Dayton Incubator is currently accepting applications for Cultural Capital microloans. Applications are due by Friday, Oct. 14. Awards range from $500 to $15000.
